Statistics show that during the festive season, emergency service calls can increase by as much as 25% in Gauteng.

This spike in demand puts immense pressure on our healthcare system. In the last three years the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services Communication Centre received over 117 000 calls during December period with an average of around 39 000 each month.

The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has pulled out every resource to ensure that it effectively responds to any medical emergency across the province to save lives during the festive season.

MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko on Wednesday, 11 December 2024 outlined safer festive season plans under the theme "Beyond The Call Of Duty - Responding to Emergencies, Preserving Lives". She assured the public that the healthcare system is prepared for the increased need for emergency services due to the surge in accidents related to social gatherings, travel, and festive celebrations.

"I want to assure the residents of Gauteng that our hospitals and clinics across all the five health districts are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Proactive measures have been taken to ensure sufficient number of staff members along with the allocation of the necessary resources and equipment needed to serve our residents during this busy season," said the MEC.

The GDoH has allocated a fleet of over 400 operational vehicles to serve and respond to emergencies. These includes ambulances, primary response vehicles, rescue vehicles, a disaster response bus, amongst others. Each vehicle is equipped with the necessary medical supplies and technology to ensure that our emergency responders can provide timely and effective care.

A team 4 200 staff members that are well trained, experienced and ready to assist during this busy period have also been deployed. This will ensure the provision of rapid and efficient responses to those in need.

MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko added that the Provincial Health Operations Centre which is located in Midrand is well capacitated to monitor the volume of calls, track the emergency response times, facilitate planned patients transport, handle hospital diverts, track emergency vehicle movements and monitor daily operational strength across the five districts in Gauteng.

"Our personnel are the backbone of our emergency services, and their readiness during periods such as this is paramount," emphasised the MEC.

In addition, the GDoH has in the 2024/25 financial year trained over 3 700 community members across the province as first responders surpassing its annual target of 2 500. This means that more people have undergone the First Responder Training programme offered our Lebone College of Emergency Care and they are equipped with essential life-saving skills such as performing CPR, assisting convulsing victims, managing falls, treating sprains, strains and burn cases while awaiting professional help from healthcare personnel.

By Kenny Morolong

In June this year, South Africa marked 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter on 26 June 1955 by the Congress of the people. On that day, brave patriots assembled in a multiracial convention in Kliptown and adopted a document that remains the cornerstone to the founding of our Constitution and democracy.

To this day the Freedom Charter remains a concrete expression of the will and determination of the people. The values and core principles of the Freedom Charter have been incorporated into the Constitution which guides the National Development Plan, the blueprint for a society where all can flourish. The Constitution also informs the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024-2029, which seeks to advance an all-inclusive democracy, where all have equal opportunities to a better life.

This year’s anniversary was held under the theme “70 Years of the Freedom Charter: Youth Upholding the Constitution” and coincided with the commemoration of Youth Month. The theme reinforced the importance of the youth in taking the lead in addressing pressing challenges facing our country and ensuring that our constitutional democracy lives up to the principles as espoused in the Freedom Charter. Together we must ensure that we live by its values as we work for a better life for all our people.

The 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter was an opportunity to celebrate the strides we have made in building our democracy based on the Constitution. Since 1994 we have worked to undo the many evils of the past. Over the years Parliament passed legislation to support our democracy and to ensure that all people are treated justly and fairly.

It also repealed several laws that sought to denigrate black people and replaced them with those that reflect the values of our new democratic dispensation. We should never forget that the apartheid government was systematic in their approach, passing law after law intended to restrict the freedoms and aspirations of black people.

The Population Registration Act of 1950 formalised racial classification and introduced an identity card for all persons over the age of eighteen, specifying their racial group. The infamous Group Areas Act of 1950 decreed that only people of the same race could live side by side.

Things that we now consider normal such as marrying the love of your life were banned under the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949, which prohibited marriage between persons of different races.

Simple daily activities such as boarding a bus to go to the park, or the beach were banned under the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act of 1953, which reserved most public amenities for a particular race. In 1953, the Bantu Education Act was also passed, which crafted a separate and unequal system of education for African students, which aimed to limit their educational opportunities and reinforce apartheid policies.

All these laws have been replaced and today we live in a country where all are equal before the law. No one can be discriminated against because of race, culture, language, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other ground.

Furthermore, Chapter 9 institutions continue to function without fear or favour to safeguard our democracy and ensure that organs of state are held to account for their actions or inactions. Alongside Chapter 9 institutions, we have the separation of powers which allows each branch of government - the executive, the legislature and the judiciary - to scrutinise the acts of another branch to prevent one branch from acting unilaterally.

Over our 31-years of democracy, we have also transformed the lives of people through the provision of basic services such as improving access to education, healthcare, houses, water, electricity, roads, social protection initiatives and wage increases. These successes are reflected in both the 30 Year Review Report and Census 2022. Both of these paints a picture of a society on the move and reflect improvements across most indicators.

Although we have made progress, we are mindful that we must do more to substantially transform our nation and the economy. We are committed to speeding up transformation across society by strengthening partnerships with civil society to ensure that we address the many challenges faced by the most vulnerable including the youth in our country.

All of these changes and milestones are a testament that we have a lot to be grateful for as we mark 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter. South Africans from all races are encouraged to reflect on the 70th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter and find ways to build on the gains we have made to improve the lives of people.

Paris, France – 20 June 2025
South African middle-distance runner Tshepo Tshite delivered a composed and noteworthy performance at the Paris Diamond League on Friday night, setting a new national 1500m record with a time of 3:31.35.

The 28-year-old, already the holder of South Africas indoor records in both the 1500m and the mile, improved on the longstanding outdoor mark of 3:31.93 set by Johan Cronje in 2013. Tshites run placed him ninth overall in a highly competitive field, but the result marked a significant personal milestone and a new benchmark in South African middle-distance athletics.

The race itself was among the fastest in recent seasons. Frances Azeddine Habz took the win in 3:27.49, the quickest time recorded globally this year, with five other athletes also finishing under the 3:30 barrier.

While Tshite didnt feature at the front of the race, his time represents clear progress and underlines his consistency and continuous improvement in his time. The performance also adds an outdoor national title to his growing list of achievements, complementing his indoor bests of 3:35.06 (1500m) and 3:54.10 (mile).

Athletics South Africa (ASA) president James Moloi welcomed the result, noting its significance for both the athlete and the broader athletics community.

“A national record is always an important achievement, and we congratulate Tshite, his coach, and his team,” said Moloi.
“At the same time, we encourage all our athletes to continue improving their performances as we prepare for major international competitions, including the upcoming World Championships.”

Fellow South African Adriaan Wildschutt was also in action in Paris, finishing 14th in the mens 5,000m with a time of 13:28.67. The race was won by Ethiopias Yomif Kejelcha in a commanding 12:47.84.

The next leg of the Diamond League series takes place on 5 July in Eugene, Oregon, where South Africas top athletes will look to build on current form heading into the latter half of the season.

Tshites achievement in Paris may not have come with a podium finish, but it represents steady progress and reaffirms his position among South Africas leading middle-distance runners.

A 21-year-old man from Johannesburg, Gauteng, has been implicated in a significant breach involving the sale of matric results on the now-defunct Edumarks website for R100 before their official release date. Edumarks, which reportedly operated since 2021, claimed a 97% accuracy rate for the marks provided to those seeking early access to their results.



The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, received a complaint from the Department of Education on January 12, 2025, at the Pretoria Central Police Station. According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, investigators visited the suspect's residence in Hillcrest, north of Johannesburg, after obtaining a seizure warrant.



During the search, authorities discovered various electronic devices and an unlicensed shotgun with live ammunition. The 21-year-old suspect is expected to face charges for unlawful possession of a firearm, while the investigation into the matric result leak will continue.



Prior to the results' release, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube confirmed the possibility of a breach concerning the matric results for the class of 2024. She indicated that the potential breach might have occurred at the end of the verification process. The minister noted that they had become aware of a platform selling authentic matric results to learners and had engaged the Hawks and State Security to investigate the situation.



Gwarube mentioned that the breach could have originated from within the Department of Basic Education (DBE) through information sharing with stakeholders or could be the result of a cyber-attack. She stated that they would assess whether their systems were secure enough to prevent such incidents. If the breach is traced back to the DBE, an investigation will be launched under the leadership of the Director-General, with consequences to follow. Additionally, if the breach is linked to stakeholders, measures will be implemented to strengthen their systems.